The band was formed by brothers Axel and Pål Vindenes, together with school friends Jonas Nielsen and Stian Sævig. All classically trained musicians, the band was formed to play a one-off show at a local youth centre, Ungdomshuset 1880, but after positive response the band continued to play many live shows around Norway. In 2006, the band made their first recording and released the EP Already Your Favourite EP which was produced by Matias Tellez and featured the track "OOO".
Kakkmaddafakka released its first LP Down to Earth on 24 September 2007, which reached number twenty on the VG Topp30 Album list and brought the band nationwide attention in their native Norway, despite a largely negative critical response.
Kakkmaddafakka has performed at numerous festivals including Iceland Airwaves, Montreux Jazz Festival, NXNE, CMJ Music Marathon, Southside Festival, Hurricane Festival, Eurosonic Festival, by:Larm, Area 4 Hove and Melt! Festival in Germany, where they were introduced on stage by prominent Bergen musician and friend Erlend Øye.
In 2008, Kakkmaddafakka was nominated as Best Norwegian Act in the MTV Europe Music Awards, along with Madcon, Ida Maria, Karpe Diem and eventual winners Erik og Kriss.
On 25 February 2011, Kakkmaddafakka released their second album Hest. The album was produced by Erlend Øye and released on the label Bubbles. The first single taken from the album was "Restless".
On 28 June 2013, the band released their third album Six Months Is a Long Time. It was again produced by Erlend Øye and released on Universal Music Germany, featuring the singles "Someone New", "Young", and "Forever Alone".
In early 2014, pianist and founder member Jonas Nielsen left the band and was replaced by Sebastian Emin Kittelsen.
The band released their fourth album titled KMF on 18 March 2016.
In 2017, guitarist and singer Pål Vindenes started a parallel solo project under the name Pish. 2017 also brought on their fifth album, Hus.
In 2019, they released their sixth album, Diplomacy.
Band members include:
Axel Vindenes - guitar, vocals
Stian Sævig - bass, vocals
Pål Vindenes "Pish" - cello, guitar, vocals
Sebastian Kittelsen - piano
Kristoffer Van Der Pas - drums
Lars Helmik Raaheim-Olsen - percussion
Former members:
Jonas Nielsen - piano, vocals (2004–2014)
Additional musicians (also called Kakkmaddachoir)"
Martin Sande - backing vocals and dancing
Sverre Sande - backing vocals and dancing
The Rest
Kakkmaddafakka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Climbing, why?
Now let your hopes
Be mine
Grow together
Grow apart
I let you love
In a dream
Of perfect days
I let you change
My ways
No more tears
And no more friction
I let your love
Be my addiction
Forever Young
Used to be my favourite song
Now it makes me sad
'Cause I know those days are gone
Put your hands on my shoulders
Say we're not getting older
Put your hands on my shoulders
Say we're not getting older
You never said forever
I never said enough
You gave me your best
I gave you all the rest
Vulnerable
Volatile
I let you be
My child
First so young
Now younger still
I let your love
Become my will
Forever Young
Used to be my favourite song
Now it makes me sad
'Cause I know those days are gone
Put your hands on my shoulders
Say we're not getting older
Put your hands on my shoulders
Say we're not getting older
You never said forever
I never said enough
You gave me your best
I gave you all the rest
In this song, Kakkmaddafakka explores the themes of love, aging, and vulnerability. The lyrics speak of a tangled life and climbing, which could represent the ups and downs of a relationship or life in general. The singer asks the other person to let their hopes be theirs, indicating a reliance on the other person's optimism to keep the relationship going. The line "Grow together, grow apart" indicates the reality of relationships; sometimes they survive and thrive, and sometimes they don't. Despite the potential for heartbreak, the singer allows themselves to love, knowing that it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.
In the second verse, the singer reminisces about a dream of perfect days, suggesting a nostalgia for a time when things were simpler or clearer. The line "I let you change my ways" represents the transformative power of love and how it can shape us into better versions of ourselves. The singer notes that there are "no more tears and no more friction" because they've given themselves fully to the other person, allowing their love to become an addiction. However, the chorus brings a dose of reality as the singer realizes that "Forever Young" is no longer their favorite song because they know those days are gone. Again, the theme of aging and the passage of time comes up, but the singer seeks reassurance through physical touch, asking the other person to "put your hands on my shoulders / Say we're not getting older".
The final verse mentions vulnerability and volatility, again addressing the potential for love to cause both joy and pain. The singer notes that the other person was once so young but remains so, allowing their love to become the singer's will. The song ends with the acknowledgment that the other person never said forever, but the singer is left wanting more, having given their all to the relationship, despite it not working out.
Line by Line Meaning
Tangled life
My life is complicated and confusing
Climbing, why?
I don't know what I'm moving toward, but I keep pushing forward anyway
Now let your hopes
I want to share your aspirations and work towards your goals
Be mine
Because I want to build a successful partnership with you
Grow together
Our relationship must continue to develop alongside us
Grow apart
As we grow, there may be moments where we must pursue different paths
I let you love
I am accepting and open to your love
So I love my heart
And I am happy because I love who I am when I am with you
In a dream
I often imagined idyllic scenarios
Of perfect days
Times when everything felt ideal
I let you change
Under your influence, I am a different person
My ways
But, overall, the change is a positive one
No more tears
I don't want there to be any more distress in our bond
And no more friction
I want our relationship to be peaceful and loving
I let your love
You have my affection and devotion
Be my addiction
I am always eager for your love and attention
Forever Young
I used to enjoy the idea of never aging
Used to be my favourite song
When I listened to it, it inspired me
Now it makes me sad
But now, it serves as a reminder that time never stays still
'Cause I know those days are gone
My youthful past is gone, and time is continually passing
Put your hands on my shoulders
Hold me closely
Say we're not getting older
Remind me that our bond will never age even if we do
You never said forever
We never promised to keep this relationship going indefinitely
I never said enough
I don't believe I ever expressed how much you meant to me
You gave me your best
You invested a lot of love and time into our bond
I gave you all the rest
But I mostly gave you my leftover time and attention
Vulnerable
I am susceptible to being hurt
Volatile
Our relationship can shift quickly and unpredictably
I let you be
I allow you to act independently and honestly
My child
I will always look out for you and support you
First so young
We began our bond when we were young and naive
Now younger still
But even though we are older, we continue to learn and grow
I let your love
I embrace and accept your affection
Become my will
It has influenced and impacted how I behave and what I want
Writer(s): Axel Vindenes, Vera Karina Kleppe
Contributed by Jonathan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.